They're earning around $95k USD a year not really releasing a game. Why would they ever finish this? lol.
I assume you've never worked yourself and earned any money, and you're probably still living in your parents house with all the commodities and have now family your own? Well, in that case getting almost $100k a year seems to be much, I agree.
But first of all: they don't get ~$100k. Nor $95k. They have to pay taxes and shit. As they're located in Spain, the average living costs in Spain for a family of four is about $2.4k per month
without rent (
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). That's $30k a year -- again: without rent! The average rent in Spain is about $1k to $1.5k depending on where you live (same source as above). That's another $12k-$18k a year. Now we're already up to about $45k to $50k a year they have to spend on expenses, just to enjoy a roof over their head and be able to pay for food, and their basic needs (like electricity and stuff). Taking in account the average 40% taxes they'll have to pay on their income (
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), they are left with about $500 to $1k at most per month to spend. I might be wrong about this, it's just a quick 'n dirty calculation.
Both of them are working their butts off (at least 5 days a week, sometimes even 6 days a week!). Have they posted a game update during the last year? No, they haven't -- so what? I'm myself working in IT (software development), and it might take 1-3 years (!) of paid work until a new update is ready! Am I lazy? Am I milking my employer? I wish I could, but I'm getting tracked on a weekly basis, and everyone is OK with the progress we're achieving. MagicNuts are pretty much doing the same: the basically report their progress every week, and eventually the update will be ready and available (even for those who haven't "invested" in their work!).
So what's different between me and MagicNuts? Well, I do have a non-cancelable contract, which guarantees me a certain amount of money per month/year. They don't. So all they got is the voluntary donations they got from people who love their work, and still believe and trust them. But for them it can change every moment, and they get like $1k to $2k less per month... For me it won't change, even if I work slower than usual...
Please feel free to become a freelancer yourself, living just off the humble donations of people who enjoy and love your work. But to be honest, I don't think you'll ever do something like that. You don't have the balls. You'd rather work as a burger-flipper to get just enough money to go out and have some beer with your friends while still living at your mom's house.